Car-coupling



No. 625,385. Patented May 23, i899. C. DIETZ.

GAB COUPLING.

lAPplication led Dec. 2, 189B.) v (No Model.)

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CHARLES DIETZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,385, dated May 23, 1899. Application tiled December 2, 1898- Serial No, 698,076. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ wton't t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES DIETZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of carcouplers which are known as automatic car-couplers of the Master Car-Builders type, and particularli7 to the means for holding and locking the parts in their coupling position.V

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, and efficient car-coupler;

and the invention consists in the features, combinations, and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan sectional view of an automatic coupler constructed in accordance with my improvements and taken on the line l of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2 of Fig. l; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the locking-pin; Fig. 4, a side elevation of a portion of the tail of the coupling-knuckle, and Fig. 5 an end view of Fig. 4.

In the art to which this invention relates it is well known that there is considerable difficulty in keeping the knuckle in its coupling position-the position shown in Fig. l of the accompanying drawings. It is usual in this class of couplers to have their locking-pins arranged in a vertical plane, so that when a train of cars is going downhill and bumping into each other the shocks are liable to raise the pins in such a manner that the next pull on the knuckle unlocks the same and breaks the train. Such a condition as above outlined is liable to result in a serious accident when the cars approach a level or upgrade. The principal object of my invention therefore is to remove this objection and provide an automatic coupler in which the lockingpin will stay locked in and under any ordinary conditions.

In construct-ing a car-coupler in accordance with my improvements I use the usual drawbar A, provided with a head B, in which a knuckle C is pivotally mounted, The parts described up to this point are of the usual and ordinary form of Master Car-Builders construction.

In order to keep the knuckle locked in its coupling position and permitit to be unlocked whenever it may be desirable or necessary, a locking-pin D is provided and inserted in openings in the head at an angle to a vertical plane. The tail c of the knuckle is beveled at c' so as to correspond substantially with the angle in which the locking-pin is arranged, so that when theparts are in coupling engagement, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the tendency will be to keep them lockedthat is, the pull on the knuckle makes the adjacent contacting faces act in a cam-like manner, so as to keep the locking-pin in its locking position. To further assist in keeping the locking-pin in its locked position, the upper portion of the same is provided with a head d, and arranged adjacent thereto and underneath the same is a recess d', which forms a shoulder d2, so that when the pin is in its locking position this shoulder comes underneath and spans the upper flange or web b of the draw-bar head and prevents the pin from being unlocked until the pull is removed from the coupling-knuckle.

It will be noticed when examining Fig. 2 that the perforation o', arranged in the top of the draw-bar head, is wider than the neck of the locking-pin or fully as wide as the main body portion of the pin, so that such pin may be moved back at its upper portion and the entire body of the same be broughtinto alinement with the hole to permit the lifting of the pin.

In order to assist in making the coupling engagement of the parts, the locking-pin is provided with a cam-surface D' and the tail of the knuckle witha cam-surface c', so that during the coupling action the tail is swung.

back against the surface b2 of the draw-bar head, and elevates the pin. The further swinging of the knuckle swings it into the position shown in Figs. l and 2 and allows the locking-pin to drop into its locking position. The pull of the car throws the lockingpin over into the position shown in Fig. 2, from which it cannot be released until the pull on the knuckle is removed and the pin lifted by hand or otherwise.

While I have described my invention with more or less minuteness as regards form, de-

tails of construction, and arrangement, I do not desire to be limited thereto unduly or any more than is pointed out in the claims. On the contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form,-details of construction and arrangement, the omission of immaterial elements, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claiml. In a car-coupler, the combination of a draw-bar head, a coupling-knuckle pivotally secured therein and provided with a tail portion the side locking-face of which is arranged at an angle to the Vertical plane, and a sliding locking-pin arranged in the drawbar head at an angle to the vertical and horizontal planes and provided with a lockingface arranged at an angle to the vertical plane and to be contacted by the side locking-face of the knuckle-tail and assist in holding the parts in their locked coupling position, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupler, the combination of a draw-bar head, a knuckle pivotally secured therein provided with a tail portion, a sliding locking-pin. arranged in the draw-bar head at an angle to the vertical and horizontal planes and provided with a cam-surface adapted to be contacted by the coupling-knuckle while it is being swung into its locking position and cause the pin to be elevated, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination of a draw-bar head, a coupling-knuckle provided with a pulling portion andatail portion pivotally mounted within the draw-bar head, a locking-pin arranged in the draw-bar head at an angle to the vertical plane provided with a shoulder portion adapted to lock with a portion of the draw-bar head when the parts are in their locked position and acam portion on such locking-pin adapted to be contacted by the tail ot' the knuckle during the swinging of the knuckle into its locking position and cause the pin to be elevated, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupler, the combination of a hollow draw-bar head, a knuckle provided with a pulling portion and a tail portion pivwith pulling and tail portions, a cam portion arranged at the end of the tail portion, alocking-pin arranged in the draw-bar head at an angle to the vertical plane so as to be contacted by the coupling-knuckle and lock the parts firmly in coupling position, a recess arranged in the coupling-pin at or near its up` per portion so as to span the upper web or ange of the draw-bar head and further hold the parts in locked position, and a cam portion on one side of the locking-pin arranged to be contacted by the cam on the end of the coupling-knuckle while itis being swung into its locking position so as to unlock and lift the coupling-pin during such movement, substantially as described.

6. In a car-coupler, the combination of a hollow draw-bar head, a coupling-knuckle of the Master Car-Builderstype provided with a face on its tail portion arranged at an angle to the vertical plane and a cam c, a locking-pin arranged in the draw-bar head at an angle to the vertical plane so as to contact the angular face of the tail of the coupling-knuckle, a re- Witnesses:

FREDERIC A. DELANO, W. S. BURLEY. 

